The Last Dog-Demon
by ArtisteFish
Summary: The Dog-Demon Inuyasha had never questioned the existence of others like him, but when he learns that he may be the last of his kind, he sets out on a quest to find his missing kin. However, an unexpected transformation sets his quest on its head; now, with the help of new friends and an ardent admirer, he must find himself. AU, based on The Last Unicorn
1. Chapter 1

The Last Dog-Demon, Chapter 1

* * *

"I mislike the feel of these woods."

A young, black-haired boy looked up at the old man beside him, clutching a small bow in his hand and shouldering a quiver of arrows. "What's wrong, grandfather?"

Glancing about him with wary eyes, the elderly man carefully slung his own bow around his shoulders, leaving his hands weaponless. "Creatures who live in a dog-demon's forest learn a little magic of their own in time; they can be formidable opponents."

"Dog-demons?" His grandson mimicked in a disbelieving tone, "No one believes in those anymore, Grandfather. This is a just a forest! Like any other… isn't it?"

The old man gave a humorless chuckle and looked down at the boy, his eyes bright with aged wisdom as he said "Then why do the leaves never fall here, or the snow? Why do no armies or travelers pass through here?" His gaze turned back to the thick trunks and undergrowth, the forest before them motionless and silent. The noon-day sun did not pierce the canopy beyond them, leaving the world beyond in deep shadow. "I tell you m'boy, there is one dog-demon left, and so long as he makes this forest his home, we'll find no game to hunt."

"Grandfather, let's turn around" the young boy answered worriedly, seeing the forest before him with new eyes. "We can hunt somewhere else."

"Alright lad" the old man answered lightly, more than ready to put the place behind them. He stopped though as he started to turn away, his brow furrowing in thought, and then turned back and bowed low, his hands raised in prayer before him. Raising his head, he called out in a steady voice, bold yet respectful "Stay where you are, Great Dog-Demon; this is no world for you. Stay in your forest and keep your trees green, and your friends protected. I pray you good fortune – for you are the last." Straightening himself, he nodded towards the dark forest, then turned at the insistent tugging of his grandson on his hakama, and lead the way slowly back to the village.

Neither had noticed the other presence in the forest with them, watching with hard, yellow eyes surrounded by thick silver-white fur. A deep growl started up as the humans departed, the old man's parting words echoing in the young dog-demon's head.

'How can I be the last?' He thought angrily – had the old man not bowed and paid his respects, the dog would have bit off his head for such a foolish statement. For him to be the last… it was impossible! There had never been a time without dog-demons; they were as old as the sky, or the moon! They were fierce and powerful; they could not be killed or hunted unless they left their forest realms, and even then no human could match their strength. They had long since destroyed the countless demons who once plagued the land, and any who were left feared the great dogs more than anything.

The humans sought them for protection and luck in battle: an old adage said that if a man or woman rode upon the back of a dog-demon, no matter how cowardly or weak, they would become the bravest of warriors. … But the humans had not sought him out for years – decades! He could not recall the last time a young warrior had been left in his woods, waiting surrounded by offerings for the dog-demon to approach and allow them to climb aboard his back. … Had they really stopped believing?

Or… were there no longer any dog-demons to believe _in_?

Inuyasha shook his thick head of fur, pointed ears laid back as he fought foreign feelings of fear and worry stirring inside him. It didn't matter if he were the last dog-demon on earth; he was strong. He would be safe. His forest would thrive.

With a final angry woof he turned back into the dark trees, leaving behind the old man and his senile claims. His mood only soured though as he steadily realized there was one thing he could not shake, no matter how far or fast he ran from the place where those words had been spoken. Where before he'd known only contentment, now his very bones ached with a hollow, consuming feeling which could only be described as loneliness.

He didn't know what to do with such an emotion – and so he ran.

Inuyasha ran for miles, leaves whipping his face as the crisp forest air sped through his mane. His forest was expansive and crawled up the slopes of the mountains, allowing him the room he needed to really run the way a demon should. Focusing all his attention on the pounding of the mossy ground beneath his paws and the whistle of wind in his pointed ears, Inuyasha let the weight of that morning's disturbing revelation slip from his shoulders. What need was there for other dog-demons when he had such space to roam? Dog-demons didn't live together; they weren't social. At least… he didn't remember them being. With a vicious growl he surged forward, leaving behind the thought that perhaps he just couldn't remember a time when there had been others.

Seeing a patch of light in the distance, he made for it at break neck speed, bursting through the tree-line into open sunlight. With perfect control he came to a halt at the edge of a meadow, the vibrant grass and yellow wild-flowers tinged gold and glowing. Inuyasha's pounding heart calmed at the sight; this had always been his sanctuary, and here at least the feeling of being alone wasn't quite so suffocating.

Circling a particularly warm patch of grass, the great dog-demon fell to the ground, rolling onto his back and basking in the afternoon sun before curling up on his side and letting his eyes drift shut. He was on the verge of sleep, his limbs weighty and ears flickering, when a sudden stinging pinch at his neck had his eyes springing wide. Snarling, he lashed his massive jaws at the foreign irritant, and heard a startled squeak as something sprung out of reach.

"Please! Don't eat me!"

At the sound of a terrified, squeaking voice, Inuyasha quieted his growl. His sharp eyes caught a small speck of black against the white fur on his arm, and zeroed in on a tiny figure sitting cross-legged on the back of his paw, wiping sweat from his brow with one of four miniscule arms.

"Phew! That was a close one!" the figure said, the words coming from a needle-like beak instead of a mouth, "I'd heard dog-demons were vicious, but they say that a mere taste is more than worth the risk!"

Inuyasha's annoyance grew ten-fold. So, the little pest was a demon flea? Normal fleas knew better than to bother a dog-demon… or at least, to bother him. "Alright, you've had your taste" Inuyasha growled out, his voice gravelly but similar to a human's "Now get outta my forest before I lose my good mood."

The little flea wrung his hands, glancing up nervously with large round eyes as he said in a wobbling voice "Well if this is a good mood I'd hate to see what a bad one looks like."

There was another high squeak and a vicious chomp as Inuyasha snapped his jaws at the demon, narrowly missing the flea as it sprung away. "Now wait a moment m'Lord! There's no need for hostility! I am but a humble flea, seeking sustenance after a long journey! I travel quite extensively you know, and nowhere have I found blood as exceedingly exquisite as yours, sire!"

The great dog merely raised a fluffy eyebrow at the flea's pandering, but the more he thought on what the pest had said, the stronger a question began to fester in his mind.

"You there – flea."

Pausing abruptly in the middle of his rambling, the old flea stopped and turned nervous eyes on the white dog-demon. "Y-yes m'Lord?"

Inuyasha set the flea with his harshest golden gaze. Emotions he hadn't felt in years were churning through him, but there was no need for the flea to know. If he could only intimidate the little nuisance, then perhaps he would get the answers to the questions that had plagued him all day. He hoped the creature would respond well to fear; subtlety was not his strength.

"You know who I am, don't you?"

The flea's wringing hands were mere blurs at this point, and his little mustache bobbed as he fought for the right words to keep himself alive. "Uh… I… know that you rule this _very_ beautiful forest…." He paused, swallowing nervously, and Inuyasha filled the gap in conversation with an impatient growl. He was not searching for flattery.

"Just tell me, you blood-sucking parasite: what am I?"

"W-why, you're a Dog-Demon! A great and powerful Dog-Demon! Though very young, it seems" his voice lost its nervous edge as he once again got caught up in his prattling flattering speech, "with a coat as white as I've ever seen, I must say, and such power! I bet the demons keep their distance! And might I just add, bearing the finest blood this old flea has ever had the pleasure of –"

"SHUT UP ALREADY!"

The old flea flew back a few yards at the unexpected roar, but quickly righted himself and sprung back to the irate demon, bowing profusely and spouting apologies. "Many pardons, your grace! I only meant to answer your question! I had no intention of upsetting your greatness!"

"Enough of that!" Inuyasha snapped, though with a touch more restraint than before. He had never had much control over his temper – he had always assumed it to be a trait of his warrior race. "Just answer me this, and then you can take your sniveling self from my forest: have you seen others like me?"

Surprise flitted over the small face of the demon, and in suspicious tones he spoke up "Well yes, but… not for many long years, m'Lord."

Inuyasha waited with wide, expectant eyes, but as the flea offered up no further information he prodded "Well? Where are they? Where did you see them?"

There was no fear now in the tiny figure, but a look of such disbelief that the dog-demon was physically restraining himself from smashing the pest with his paw. After a moment the old man snapped himself from his daze and said cautiously "You mean… you don't know?"

Know? Know what? Inuyasha's mind whirled as the flea's innocent question created chaos inside him. What was he supposed to know? Had… had they all gone somewhere? Had they left their lands for a place where the humans wouldn't bother them? Were they waiting for him to join them? … Had they left him behind?

So many questions fought for dominance in his head, but his pride kept him from voicing a single one. The flea seemed to understand his predicament though, and in a small, respectful voice said "They were rounded up, many years ago. A great red spider swept through the lands and trapped them all in its webs. It carried them away on its back and left no prints to follow. I… I just assumed you'd escaped."

He _had_ escaped… he'd escaped through ignorance. Anger rippled through him like a storm; fury like he'd never known burned in his veins. A demon had carried off his kin like a sack of potatoes… and he'd been here, in his forest, running free in blissful naivety. Even the humans had known more than him.

"Where are they now?" His yellow eyes burned bronze, and the old flea paled at the sight of his bared fangs. "Where were they taken, demon? Answer me, or I _will_ kill you."

"That's all I know, I swear to you!" the flea cried pathetically, panic evident on every centimeter of his face, "I'm a coward, sire! I was nowhere near these events when they happened! I've told you all I know, all that I've heard – you must believe me!"

Inuyasha grimaced at the pitiful display. He had no patience with cowardice, but he had pride enough not to harm a defenseless insect. Rolling his amber eyes and rising from his spot in the grass, the dog-demon turned away from the flea, still caught up in his groveling, and with a powerful kick sent the tiny demon skyward.

Without glancing back he slipped under the canopy cover, the need for an afternoon nap gone as fiery determination filled his every fiber. The others… were captured? Trapped? It didn't sound possible of dog-demons. Who would be strong enough – bold enough – to even attempt such a feat? Most demons would sooner die than be captured, but… what other explanation could there be?

Inuyasha shook himself, glancing about the forest, seeing through the trunks and the boughs to the animals under his protection. They were safe, and strong – being in his proximity for so long, they'd gained courage and power. If he left… they would surely be alright. He surveyed the trees as he passed, his gait slowed with thought; the forest might start to die without the influence of his aura, but that was the natural way of things. Forests died, and were reborn. Demons did not come back as easily as forests.

The great dog walked and walked for hours; for all his awareness, it could have been days. His thoughts consumed him, and he hadn't realized he'd had a destination in mind until he reached the very edge of the forest, where the trees met fields and roads. He paused, the barrenness of the country before him eating away at his resolve. The forest would survive without him… but would he survive without the forest? Looking back over his shoulder, Inuyasha saw the shining eyes of the forest creatures, watching as their protector stepped beyond the boundaries of his home.

Tearing his eyes away, Inuyasha took one step, and then another, and before another thought could enter his mind, he broke into a run. Hard, lifeless dirt met his paws as he thundered away, and he could feel the tendrils of magic breaking as he left the only dwelling he had ever known. He wouldn't regret it though; dog-demons didn't know regret. He had a duty to find out what had happened to the others. If they were truly all gone, if he was really the last dog-demon… he would go wherever they were, even to his death. His place was with them.

Of all the things he had learned that day, this truth was hardest to take, but also the toughest to ignore: dogs weren't meant to be alone.

* * *

* Author's Note:

yes... I've started another au.

This one won't take as long as the others, since it's based on an already finished story, meaning I know how it plays out and how to pace it. That being said, for those who are familiar with the book and/or movie "The Last Unicorn", I'm going to be making some changes. One big one is that it's set in Ancient-ish Japan (some indeterminate year) instead of old medieval Englad or Europe. Also, since dog-demons are not as demure and peaceful as unicorns, changes have been made so that the lore better fits the fierce demons. Accordingly, several other roles have been adjusted to fit that lore. However, the characters will still fit into their crossover roles, and hopefully will remain in-character at the same time. :P Wish me luck! And honestly, even if they don't, I'm not super worried. This au is mainly just fun for me because The Last Unicorn is one of my favorite books/movies; if other people enjoy this au as well, even better. So please, if you're interested, follow and see where this goes! And yes, no worries: there will be plenty of InuKag (a little later though) as well as some budding MirSan. Just be patient - it's a good story. :3


	2. Chapter 2

~The Last Dog-Demon~

Chapter 2: Man's Road

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Inuyasha didn't stop running until his sensitive nose no longer picked up the scent of the ancient woodland. He did not look back – could never look back – but all the same, the smell of his forest and the pull of his duty toward it had been distracting. Once he'd passed out of its sensory range, the dog-demon felt a weight lift from his fur-covered shoulders, and the new freedom was as exhilarating as it was frightening.

Beyond the land he called home, everything looked strange and unfamiliar. He journeyed slowly through empty country, fields and forests devoid of human interference, but devoid of demons as well. Lands that had once held magic in the very soil were now stale, wild and without dominion. The wild-life cast him curious glances as he passed, as though unsure of what he was. They did not lower their heads submissively or clear the path before him like those in _his_ forest. Inuyasha huffed and snarled at their untrained manners; useless creatures, the lot of them. There had clearly been no dog-demons in these parts for years. If there had been, these animals would have been taught respect.

A week of isolated travel went by before he came across the first human village. He saw it from the top of a hill, wooden roofs leaking the smoke of fire pits into the orange sky as men and women started to come home from the surrounding rice paddies. Inuyasha watched them for a while, the earnestness of his quest abating temporarily as curiosity overtook him.

He watched them rush to harvest the grain from the watery fields; watched as they carried it away to dry with quick steps so as to gather the next batch. He watched as they cut and cooked their meat, desperate to consume it before it fell to inevitable rot. He saw young children running along the paths of the paddies, as the old shooed them away, their backs permanently curled from a life-time of labor. In the space of a few minutes he saw their lives slipping through their fingers as they raced to keep up with time.

It unnerved him.

Inuyasha shook his fur-covered head, shaking away the uncomfortable feeling and began a path down the slope of the hill toward the humans. It had been years since he had interacted with any, but in the past they'd always treated him with fear-inspired respect. It would be a welcome change after the disappointment of the forest animals.

His clawed paws had barely reached the bottom slope of the hill before the first sounds of distress reached his pointed ears.

They were shouting, screaming, shrieking in panic and running for their shabby homes. The village men emerged from behind hanging reed-mats brandishing spears and farm equipment – and they were coming toward _him_. At the first shouts of 'WOLF' Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks. They couldn't possibly…. These humans didn't actually think for a moment that he was a-

"Away with you, wolf! You'll not have our cattle!"

Inuyasha's usually amber eyes flashed red in furious demonic anger. These humans… these stupid _peasants…_ they thought him a savage mangy wolf come to eat their livestock? Were they all _blind_?! He growled deep but did not stop his approach on the village; the men also continued their advance. It was a battle of wills, and Inuyasha was infuriated and offended that they assumed for even a second that _he_ would be the first to back down. 'You have no idea who you're dealing with' he snarled in his mind, and with a bone-chilling howl he sprang.

The men were bowled over as he passed, knocked off their feet by the wind of his aura, their weapons snapping in two under their grasps. Yells of shock and dismay issued from them as they mercilessly met the ground. And yet for all Inuyasha's anger… he could not _truly_ hurt them. It was against his very nature as a dog-demon to hurt someone weaker than him. At least, he assumed it to be so.

Leaving as abruptly as he'd entered, Inuyasha sped away from the humans, not bothering to sniff out a direction as he fought to put the jarring incident behind him. Did men no longer recognize a demon when they saw one? Were they all so unfamiliar with demons that they would willingly explain him away as a lowly wolf? If men no longer knew what they were looking at, then perhaps… perhaps there _were_ still dog-demons in the world, unknown and misidentified. Maybe they preferred it that way.

Inuyasha avoided human dwellings after that. He had no desire for human companionship, nor did he wish to be called a wolf again. More weeks passed in solitude, and the dog-demon tried but failed to remember a time when he had not been alone. Skirting another small yet full town, the first nettling pricks of fatigue awoke in him. Each step became harder to take, and every push and pull of his arms and legs tightened a band in his muscles that threatened to snap with the slightest strain. He had not slept in almost a month. His unease wouldn't let him.

Dusk had blanketed the orange sky in purple silk, and the color was slowly seeping from the world above him as pinpricks of light pierced the black night. Inuyasha glanced up at them as he walked, noting how they shone as diamond which had caught fire. Suddenly the sky above him changed, and every speck of brilliant white was a raging demon dog, alight with a flame of power as it sped across the inky landscape. He blinked, and the world fell back in focus as a few stars tumbled from their places with streaking tails like hands desperate to keep their anchor. As another star fell, Inuyasha fell too, the thick grass beneath him cushioning his landing. Eyes closing without permission, the dog-demon settled into weary slumber, the brilliant white of his coat swallowed in the black shine of the grass surrounding him; a lone, burning star in the empty blackness of the night fields.

* * *

"Well well… bless my old husk of a heart!"

Creaking wooden wheels protested as they came to an abrupt halt. An old woman turned in her seat at the front of the head wagon to gaze back over her shoulder through strands of long gray hair. Her large, owlish eyes widened even more at the white figure flocked by grass off the side of the dirt road, and cracked, painted lips turned up into a wicked smile as she croaked "And here I thought I'd seen the last of them!"

Cackling hoarsely, she grabbed the long handled scythe beside her and leapt down from her seat, limber despite her wizened age. She crept cautiously off the path as her long blue robe dragged through the dirt and grass with a soft rustling. Two more trailing wagons stopped behind her, their drivers also disembarking as they watched their leader approach the heap of white. Glancing behind at her assistants, the old witch put a hushing finger to her lips and turned back on her prey wearing a rotten grin. She was silent as she felt them walk up behind her. The first was of no concern; he was only human, a painter in possession of demonic ink, and on his own he was a bumbling fool without a spine. She did not worry over his reaction. The other though…. She glanced back at a young man in black and purple robes, his dark hair pulled into a small ponytail at his neck, a staff of gnarled wood hitting the ground softly as he walked with a confident gait. His eyes were focused intently on the white-furred creature, and there was a strange expression behind the gaze which had the old woman worrying for only the slightest moment. 'If he knew… but I don't think I'll tell him. He'll think it's a wolf for certain.'

"Tell me, my friends," she started in a voice full of poison, "what do you see?"

The painter was first to speak up, shrugging his hunched shoulders as his beady eyes took in the animal in the grass, "A dead wolf."

The old witch scoffed, shoving him aside with the smooth wooden handle of her weapon. "You're a fool! But I knew that." She turned to the second then, and her round eyes narrowed accusingly as she asked "And you, sage, what do you see with your sorcerer's sight?"

Not a word left the young man's mouth as he stared at the dog-demon amid the grass, though his blue eyes were bright and alive with thought. Upset with this silence, the old woman grabbed his robe with a hiss, pulling him down to her level and spitting "Answer me, Miroku!"

"I see a wolf" he said too quickly, his tone closed off and emotionless, "Just a white wolf."

She released him with another cackle, saying with avid amusement "I thought as much! Alright, it's a white wolf." She nodded toward the animal and looked back at the painter, saying brusquely "I want him for the carnival."

The man looked on with a grimace, his sunken eyes turning nervous as he said quietly "I'll need a rope I suppose…."

"The rope that could hold that creature has not been woven" the woman snapped, fixing the man with a glare for his idiotic suggestion, "we'll have to make due with cold iron bars instead."

"He's awakening!" At the young sage's harsh whisper, the old woman turned back to see the giant dog twitch, his lips pulling up into a snarl as his ears began to swivel and a growl echoed out of his throat. Real, vivid fear seized her then, but the old woman was nothing if not determined. She would have him! A few hastily muttered words were thrown into the air, and a glow settled over the wakening dog-demon, instantly calming his roused state and sending him into deeper slumber than before. The unearthly green light of her spell hovered over his body a few moments more before seeping into the fur. It didn't disappear though, and glowed unnaturally on each hair; almost as though the dog himself were glowing. Stepping closer to inspect her work, the witch smiled in satisfaction at the appearance of another mark on his face: a bright purple crescent moon in the fur of his forehead to match the now brighter purple of the stripes on his cheeks.

Fear gave way to arrogant pride as the witch turned away, letting her assistants haul the unconscious dog into the last empty cage, all the while gloating as fortune smiled upon her.

* * *

*Author's Note:

Shorter chapter than last time, sorry, but a lot happens in the next one! You're going to see more and more familiar characters start to pop up after this, so get excited! Also... in case you couldn't tell... the witch is Urasue - you know, the one who brought Kikyo back to life. She uses magic in a similar way now, but she doesn't use clay bodies. Her assistant is the 'hell-painter' the first season - he appears pretty soon after Miroku joins the group. And Miroku! At first I wasn't going to include his name and I was just gonna have you guess until next chapter, but... I couldn't resist.

So, what do these mysterious and mostly shady characters have in store for our lonely dog-demon? If you don't already know the story, you'll find out soon! ... Hopefully! *sweats*

Thanks so much for those who have reviewed already, when it's only been the first chapter! I'm so glad to know that others love "The Last Unicorn" as much as I do! It's such a great story, and I'm having so much fun writing an au of it! :D


	3. Chapter 3

~The Last Dog-Demon~

Chapter Three: A Witch's Immortality

* * *

It was by far the strangest dream Inuyasha had ever woken from. A lifetime of lazy afternoons in the field had never produced any imagining as absurd as this. To go from the shelter of his forest to the roads of men was one thing… to lie down to sleep in the grass and wake up behind iron bars was something too preposterous to be real. He couldn't fool himself for long – he knew the cage he sat in was real – but by the time he was through with whoever had placed him in it, there would be nothing left but shreds of memory that could easily be tossed away as a passing nightmare.

A lingering smell of a wood fire and hints of cooked meat met his sensitive nose; someone had had breakfast, and Inuyasha wondered when it last was that he ate. His acute senses alerted him of the humans wandering his near vicinity, and he waited patiently, crouched and ready to spring at the first sight of the fools who dared to cage a dog demon.

"Alright Miroku, you've done your bit – now leave before I tell Urasue-baa-san that you've been flirting with the guests again!"

Two men rounded the wooden backing of his cage, and as soon as they were in view, he pounced with a ferocious snarl. A small, seedy man fell to the ground with a shriek as the taller and younger one backed away a step. They needn't have worried though, as Inuyasha fell in a heap to his cage floor, aftershocks of a spell coursing over his fur. Red and blue eyes snapped up to meet the humans' with blazing hatred, but he paused at the look the young man was giving him. Turning away from the wise, blue eyes, Inuyasha watched the retreating form of the older man as he stumbled over himself to reach a growing crowd of human villagers. It was then that he noticed the other cages in the open field, and the other demons. Briefly Inuyasha wondered why he hadn't smelled them earlier, but even after a deep breath of the air in the compound, all he could smell was ink.

"I shouldn't be here" the young man still standing beside his cage spoke up, and Inuyasha turned back to him with guarded interest, "but quickly, tell me what you see."

Normally such a demand would have at least warranted a growl, but the man's tone was not demanding. "Look at your fellow legends, and tell me what you see." Giving him one last glance, Inuyasha turned his attention to the cages and the 'demons' within. There was the form of a Tengu, a Kappa, an Oni and even a coiled dragon, but they were only husks of those creatures.

"What you call 'legends' are nothing more than paintings. They're made of ink!" A quiet indignation bubbled through his veins at the thought of such imposters. Even these weaker demons deserved to not be mocked in such a way. "Illusions… deceptions!" His words bit off with a growl. "That witch hasn't caught anything real!"

"It's true" the man responded softly, not at all surprised to hear the dog-demon speak like a human, "She can only disguise, and only to those eager to believe whatever comes easiest. She can't catch a dragon, but she _can_ make a painting look like a living dragon to eyes that want to see one." He paused for a moment, looking at Inuyasha with a piteous sort of awe, and said "Just as she painted false markings on a real dog-demon to get them to see the demon in him."

At Inuyasha's somewhat startled expression, he continued earnestly "Yes, I know you – if I were blind I would know what you are."

The dog-demon stood and paced a bit, trying to hide his surprise at the man's words. It was the first time in ages that he'd come across a human who treated him with such familiarity, and he was unsure how to respond. "Who are you?" he said at last, keeping his tone harsh so as to hide his true curiosity.

"I am called Miroku, the sage!" He said it proudly, as though it were a title that carried weight, but at Inuyasha's lack of impressed response, he wilted a bit and added sheepishly "You, uh… wouldn't have heard of me."

"No" Inuyasha replied bluntly, and Miroku's shoulders fell.

"I entertain the sightseers as they gather for the show" he said casually, gesturing over his shoulder at the small crowd currently gathered around the fake Kappa's cage; they took turns bowing to it to see the water cascade from the bowl on its head, never once questioning why the water never hit the floor. "It's not much of a job for a real sage" Miroku remarked, the weariness in his eyes belying his carefree tone, "but I've had worse."

A low, rumbling growl caught Inuyasha's pointed ears, and he looked to his right at the cage closest to his to see icy blue staring at him through a shadowed face of brown fur. "That one's real." His magicked red eyes locked with the others, and they regarded each other in silence before Inuyasha said gruffly "That's the wolf-demon Kouga." In his hundreds of years of life, he'd heard much of the wolf-demons. They were wild and brutal, living in the mountains and eating humans. They possessed none of the refinement Inuyasha's kind had developed through the centuries, and yet they were proud, and loyal to each other to the point of death. Kouga was well-known as their leader; Inuyasha had not heard that he'd been caged.

"Yes, the old woman caught him asleep, just as she took you." Miroku responded timidly. His eyes roamed the cage of the wolf as though he were afraid to look it in the eye, and he shuddered. "She should never have messed with a real wolf-demon, or a real dog-demon for that matter. The truth melts her magic, always."

The growls from the neighboring cage rose in volume, and Miroku flinched violently at the sound of splintering wood. "He's going to free himself very soon now…" he whispered to the dog-demon, raising his head to meet Inuyasha's eyes as he said in obvious warning "he must not catch you still caged."

Understanding, Inuyasha nodded. He would have to escape, and soon.

"Hey!" The shout from the seedy painter startled both Inuyasha and Miroku from their conversation as he called out "Go on, get away from there! You know what she told you!"

Miroku's lips pursed and he whispered in a rush "Miroku the sage is with you – do nothing till you hear from me!" and in a few steps he had slipped behind the circle of cages and was gone.

By the time Miroku's wooden staff had passed from view, the villagers had reached his cage. "The noble Dog-Demon" was all the introduction he received, but it was more than enough for the humble peasants. A few awed gasps broke the air and an older man fell to his knees in a bow. He could hear the terrified whispers as the crowd ogled him; they were amazed at the power of a witch who could hold such a demon, and glad that he was thus caged. They praised that Urasue witch, and congratulated her for getting such a terrifying beast off their land. Inuyasha didn't even realize he was growling until a few of the onlookers began to cower and a child burst into tears. They moved on to the next cage with a few hurried words from their host, and Inuyasha's chest burned with that strange feeling of loneliness again. He wanted respect, and all he seemed to get was rejection. Before the emotion could grab hold of him, dig its reaching tendrils into his heart, he snarled and barked at the retreating figures with as much animosity as he could. Let them fear him – once he found the other dog-demons, human acceptance would mean nothing to him. He didn't need it.

* * *

"I don't care how many damn spells you've got on him – get rid of that wolf, Baa-san!"

"Fool! Be still!" Shoving her assistant Koutatsu aside with the staff of her scythe, Urasue stepped closer to the wolf's cage, eyeing him boldly. "No other witch in the world holds a wolf-demon captive, and none ever will. I choose to keep him!" Jabbing a clawed finger at the painter she rasped angrily "I can turn him into wind if he escapes, or snow! Or into the beats of a drum!"

A howl rose up from the cage at her words, and Urasue turned back to see swirls of demonic energy filling the cage, threatening to tear the wood and bars asunder. Kouga's spitting maw wedged through the bars, eager to reach the witch and tear her to shreds as his claws sought to further the cage's collapse. Koutatsu screeched and fell to the ground, scrambling in the dirt to get away as he cried in panic "He's breaking loose!" But Urasue was not ready to let her prize go. Lifting her hands, she channeled her own magic toward the cage, strengthening it as she whispered "No… not yet. You're mine." Her will battled the wolf-demon's, his hatred evident but of little concern to the witch. "If you kill me" she taunted softly, "you're still mine."

The swirls of energy gradually died down, and finally disappeared as the wolf settled back to a seated position in his cage, his ice-blue gaze never leaving Urasue's grin. She cackled triumphantly, reveling in her victory over her captive, and turned to face the watchful eyes of the dog-demon. "That wolf is as real as you are" she said to him, "and just as immortal. And he was just as easy to capture, if you want to know."

The dog-demon glared back at her, saying with no little threat "Don't boast, old woman. Your death sits in that cage, and he hears every word."

Urasue simply shrugged, replying flippantly with "Oh he'll kill me one day." She turned her wide, bloodshot eyes back on the wolf, not a hint of fear in them as she continued "But he'll always remember that I caught him – that I held him prisoner." Her gaze flickered back to Inuyasha's and she said with a wicked smile "So there's _my_ immortality!" Stepping closer, she peered unapologetically up at the dog-demon and remarked snidely "Now _you_ – you were out on the road hunting for your own death! And I know where it awaits you! I know _him_."

Inuyasha's ears swiveled forward, questions rushing through his head as he caught the message hidden in her tone. "Do you mean the Red Spider?" His eager tone turned fierce as he growled out "Tell me where he is!"

"The Red Spider of Lord Naraku… so you know of the Spider?" Her wrinkled face turned cautious, and suddenly angry as she spat "Well, he'll not have you! You belong to me!"

"You should know better" Inuyasha said gravely, looking on the witch with what was almost pity, "Keep your paintings – I don't care – but let me go. And… let him go." He glanced away toward Kouga's cage, the wolf still growling quietly in the dark. "I don't like seeing him caged. He's real, like me. We're two sides of the same magic."

"I quit show-business first!" Urasue sputtered, her previous taunting attitude now completely gone. "You think I don't know what true witchery is? Just because I do what I do? There's not a witch in the world hasn't laughed at Urasue-Baaba and her hand-painted demons!" Her heavy breathing slowed, and her tone dropped dangerously as she said "But there's not one of them… who would have dared do the same."

"We demons are not for you."

"Who are you for then?!" She responded with a glare, pursing her painted lips in frustration, "Do you think those fools knew you without my help?" Urasue raised a bony finger at Inuyasha's face, saying with amused pride, "No, I had to give you markings they could see!" She cackled as Inuyasha bared his teeth, continuing "These days it takes magic ink to make people recognize a real dog-demon. But the Red Spider will know you when he sees you, so you are safer here. You should thank me for protecting you!" She bowed low in a mockery of respect, all the while laughing at her own sick joke. Her laugh continued to sound in Inuyasha's ears the entire time it took her to cross the compound to her quarters, and haunted his mind until, almost at midnight, Miroku cautiously stepped up beside his cage.

* * *

*Author's Note:

Disclaimer, in case I didn't already do this: This story is based fairly closely on The Last Unicorn and used most of the same dialogue (Though it's altered to fit the situation). So in case anyone's thinking "hey, you stole that" …. Yes, I kinda did. But I already said what this is based on, and it's fanfiction and I'm not getting money off it, plus I'm trying to alter it as much as I can. …. But the dialogue is just so darn good that it's haaard!

Anyways, huge thanks to anyone still reading this! I know I haven't uploaded in like…. Forever, and all my other fics are floundering in the vast ocean of 'not updated for months', but I'm slowly getting back to all of them. So thank you for your patience, and thank you for your support! 3


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